Episode 891: From Communist to Conservative - Frank S. Meyer

Newt's World

Gingrich 360

News, Politics

4.7 • 6.3K Ratings

🗓️ 14 September 2025

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Newt talks with Daniel J. Flynn, senior editor at The American Spectator, about his new book, “The Man Who Invented Conservatism: The Unlikely Life of Frank S. Meyer.” Frank Meyer was a pivotal figure in American conservatism. Initially a fervent communist, Meyer later became a key intellectual force behind the conservative movement, influencing figures like Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan. Their discussion explores Meyer's transformation from a communist activist to a conservative thinker. Flynn highlights Meyer's passion, his role in shaping the conservative ideology known as "fusionism," and his influence on Reagan's political philosophy. They also discuss Meyer's personal life, his relationships, and his impact on the conservative movement uncovered through extensive archival research and personal letters. Flynn provides a comprehensive look at Meyer's complex journey and enduring legacy in American politics.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This is an I-Heart podcast.
0:08.7	On this episode of Neuthorld, Frank Meyer devised the blueprint for American conservatism.
0:15.3	Fusionism, championed by Barry Goldwater, Ronald Reagan, and so many to this day.
0:22.8	Yet, earlier in his life,
0:28.9	communist in London chanted free Frank Meyer to block the deportation of a comrade who was their cause celebrity. Those fervent Marxists could never have predicted that their hero would
0:34.3	one day provide the intellectual energy necessary to propel conservatives into
0:39.4	political power. The man who invented conservatism unveils one of the 20th century's great
0:45.5	untold stories, a communist turned conservative, an anti-war activist turned soldier, and a free-love
0:52.4	enthusiast turned family man whose big idea captured
0:56.2	the American right. Here to discuss Frank Myers' life, I'm really pleased to welcome my guest,
1:03.0	Daniel Flynn, a senior editor of the American Spectator, serves as a visiting fellow at the
1:08.0	Hoover Institution for the 2024- 2025 academic year and is the author of seven books.
1:27.0	Dan, welcome and thank you for joining me on Newport.
1:30.2	Thank you for having me.
1:31.3	What attracted you to dig into Frank Myers' life?
1:36.2	I think a lot of people are attracted to write about figures like Abraham Lincoln or Winston Churchill that everybody knows.
1:43.6	I'm the opposite. I want to
1:45.4	write about somebody that I think people should know about but don't. And Frank had one of those
1:51.0	stories that, you know, as you put it in the introduction, it was one of the great untold stories
1:56.0	of the 20th century. And so the idea of telling this exciting story, the way I look at it, the early
2:02.1	conservative movement or ideologues in general, there are a lot of them that live kind of
2:06.2	black and white dull lives. That's most of them. I think there's a few that operated in
	...

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